Marbling Food Definition

An appearance like that of variegated marble.

Marbling food definition.

Marbling intramuscular fat is the intermingling or dispersion of fat within the lean. The network of fat that runs throughout a cut of meat also referred to as graining. It impacts the tenderness moistness and overall flavor and has become one of the most well known elements of steak evaluation. The act process or art of coloring or staining in imitation of variegated marble.

Well marbling refers to the white flecks of intramuscular fat in each cut of meat. A term for an increase of intramuscular fat in cattle which increased beef s tenderness. Also called intramuscular fat marbling adds flavor and is one of the main criteria for judging the quality of cuts of meat. As the meat is cooked the marbling dissolves into the meat making it tender juicy and more flavorful.

Marbling is so named because the streaks of fat resemble a marble pattern. Marbling adds a lot of flavor and can be one indicator of how good the beef is. In the culinary arts the word marbling refers to white flecks and streaks of fat within the lean sections of meat. Marbling is the white flecks of intramuscular fat in meat most notably red meat.

The fat in lean muscle creates a marble pattern hence the name. The intermixture of fat with lean in a cut of meat which contributes to flavor and tenderness. Marbling simply refers to the fat found within a cut of meat and between the muscle fibers themselves. Graders evaluate the amount and distribution of marbling in the ribeye muscle at the cut surface after the carcass has been ribbed between the 12th and 13th ribs.

The fat should be pure white and hard and the best is when it s distributed evenly throughout the entire cut of meat as in the picture above.